Nuclear translocation of haeme oxygenase-1 is associated to prostate cancer

The role of oxidative stress in prostate cancer has been increasingly recognised. Acute and chronic inflammations generate reactive oxygen species that result in damage to cellular structures. Haeme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has cytoprotective effects against oxidative damage. We hypothesise that modulation of HO-1 expression may be involved in the process of prostate carcinogenesis and prostate cancer progression. We thus studied HO-1 expression and localisation in 85 samples of organ-confined primary prostate cancer obtained via radical prostatectomy (Gleason grades 4–9) and in 39 specimens of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We assessed HO-1 expression by immunohistochemical staining. No significant difference was observed in the cytoplasmic positive reactivity among tumours (84%), non-neoplastic surrounding parenchyma (89%), or BPH samples (87%) (P=0.53). Haeme oxygenase-1 immunostaining was detected in the nuclei of prostate cancer cells in 55 of 85 (65%) patients but less often in non-neoplastic surrounding parenchyma (30 of 85, 35%) or in BPH (9 of 39, 23%) (P<0.0001). Immunocytochemical and western blot analysis showed HO-1 only in the cytoplasmic compartment of PC3 and LNCaP prostate cancer cell lines. Treatment with hemin, a well-known specific inducer of HO-1, led to clear nuclear localisation of HO-1 in both cell lines and highly induced HO-1 expression in both cellular compartments. These findings have demonstrated, for the first time, that HO-1 expression and nuclear localisation can define a new subgroup of prostate cancer primary tumours and that the modulation of HO-1 expression and its nuclear translocation could represent new avenues for therapy

Characterization of an Artificial Swine-Origin Influenza Virus with the Same Gene Combination as H1N1/2009 Virus: A Genesis Clue of Pandemic Strain

Pandemic H1N1/2009 influenza virus, derived from a reassortment of avian, human, and swine influenza viruses, possesses a unique gene segment combination that had not been detected previously in animal and human populations. Whether such a gene combination could result in the pathogenicity and transmission as H1N1/2009 virus remains unclear. In the present study, we used reverse genetics to construct a reassortant virus (rH1N1) with the same gene combination as H1N1/2009 virus (NA and M genes from a Eurasian avian-like H1N1 swine virus and another six genes from a North American triple-reassortant H1N2 swine virus). Characterization of rH1N1 in mice showed that this virus had higher replicability and pathogenicity than those of the seasonal human H1N1 and Eurasian avian-like swine H1N1 viruses, but was similar to the H1N1/2009 and triple-reassortant H1N2 viruses. Experiments performed on guinea pigs showed that rH1N1 was not transmissible, whereas pandemic H1N1/2009 displayed efficient transmissibility. To further determine which gene segment played a key role in transmissibility, we constructed a series of reassortants derived from rH1N1 and H1N1/2009 viruses. Direct contact transmission studies demonstrated that the HA and NS genes contributed to the transmission of H1N1/2009 virus. Second, the HA gene of H1N1/2009 virus, when combined with the H1N1/2009 NA gene, conferred efficient contact transmission among guinea pigs. The present results reveal that not only gene segment reassortment but also amino acid mutation were needed for the generation of the pandemic influenza virus

Potential tumor biomarkers identified in ovarian cyst fluid by quantitative proteomic analysis, iTRAQ

BACKGROUND: Epithelial-derived ovarian adenocarcinoma (EOC) is the most deadly gynecologic tumor, and the principle cause of the poor survival rate is diagnosis at a late stage. Screening and diagnostic biomarkers with acceptable specificity and sensitivity are lacking. Ovarian cyst fluid should harbor early ovarian cancer biomarkers because of its closeness to the tumor. We investigated ovarian cyst fluid as a source for discovering biomarkers for use in the diagnosis of EOC. RESULTS: Using quantitative mass spectrometry, iTRAQ MS, we identified 837 proteins in cyst fluid from benign, EOC stage I, and EOC stage III. Only patients of serous histology were included in the study. Comparing the benign (n = 5) with the malignant (n = 10) group, 87 of the proteins were significantly (p < 0.05) differentially expressed. Two proteins, serum amyloid A-4 (SAA4) and astacin-like metalloendopeptidase (ASTL), were selected for verification of the iTRAQ method and external validation with immunoblot in a larger cohort with mixed histology, in plasma (n = 68), and cyst fluid (n = 68). The protein selections were based on either high significance and high fold change or abundant appearance and several peptide recognitions in the sample sets (p = 0.04, FC = 1.95) and (p < 0.001, FC = 8.48) for SAA4 and ASTL respectively. Both were found to be significantly expressed (p < 0.05), but the methods did not correlate concerning ASTL. CONCLUSIONS: Fluid from ovarian cysts connected directly to the primary tumor harbor many possible new tumor-specific biomarkers. We have identified 87 differentially expressed proteins and validated two candidates to verify the iTRAQ method. However several of the proteins are of interest for validation in a larger setting

An Evaluation of Mainland China’s Road to Urbanization ─Big Cities or Small Towns?

[[abstract]]中國大陸自1979年改革開放以來，除了經濟體制的改革以外，都市發展也伴隨著這波改革開放的浪潮而受到牽動。1980年10月中共中央所召開全國城市規畫工作會議中明訂「控制大城市規模，合理發展中等城市，積極發展小城市」作為未來都市化發展的政策綱領。但隨著中國大陸都市逐漸的發展，這套政策開始出現了許多問題，而引起了中國大陸學術界的廣泛討論。針對這一問題學者們有若干不同的看法，並且在學界也因這些看法而有不少論戰，其中包括較為單一的發展大城市，或發展小城鎮，此外也有所謂的「第三條道路」，也就是構築“大城市 ― 中型城市 ― 小城市 ― 鄉鎮 ― 鄉村”的都市化網絡，謀求共同發展。 然而在都市化的爭論當中，大多數是以中國大陸整體為討論的對象。但是就中國大陸這一面積廣大、人口眾多的國家而言，考慮區域的個別差異是有必要的。因此本文在探討中國大陸的都市化道路將發展大城市或小城鎮時，有別於將中國大陸視為一單一個體作為研究的對象，而擬以區域發展為主要途徑，分別在東部沿海地區以及中部地區選擇一城市，南通市及宜昌市作為研究的對象，來探討不同區域中的都市化道路是否有所差異？並與目前中國大陸都市化道路的爭論做一相互印證，以評估發展大城市或小城鎮是較為合理的都市化道路